How to Write Directions on Wedding Invitations

Kristen CiccoliniUpdated April 17, 2017

Having family and friends come from out of town to witness your vows adds to your special day, but you must have concise and easy-to-understand directions to the wedding location and reception hall for them to attend. You do not want guests to arrive late because of confusing or misleading directions. Part of being a great host is to make the process of getting to your wedding easily and without frustration.

Research the easiest route to the church or other location where your wedding is to be held, using Google Maps, MapQuest or similar sites. If the venue already has simple directions from all different routes, you can copy them onto your invitations.

Decide on a main location where the directions will begin. Unless you plan on personalising the directions from each invitee's home or hotel, a central location is ideal. The starting point of your directions should be the airport where your guests arrive, a main highway or a town attraction with which all of your guests are familiar.

Consider writing directions in another language if English is not your guests' native tongue. You may do this for all of your invitations if your wedding has many bilingual guests, or you may choose to set aside a few invitations written in another language. Your guests will appreciate your efforts to make this day easy for them.

Separate each direction into one simple, unequivocal sentence. Following a bulleted list of directions is easier and more visually pleasing than a collection. One short, concise direction should leave no doubt as to what the driver is supposed to do.

Consider images in your directions. For example, using traffic signs as bullets can help clarify information, and a map allows them to follow along the route. If your guests are still unclear on a direction, the image of the sign will be helpful.

Include landmarks in your directions so there is no doubt about the route they are following. When driving in an unfamiliar area, it may be easier for your guests to pick out landmarks than to find signs that may be oddly placed or hidden.

Add your phone number or someone in your wedding party's phone number who will be available to take calls before the ceremony. If someone is lost, they should be able to contact you or a family member for help or to note that they are going to be late.

Note: Depending on which text editor you're pasting into, you might have to add the italics to the site name.

About the Author

Kristen Ciccolini is a freelance writer in Boston with a bachelor's degree in journalism from Suffolk University. She has been writing professionally for two years. Her work can be found in her alma mater's online newspaper The Suffolk Voice, the popular local magazine "The Improper Bostonian," as well as Examiner.com.